Elevators have gained significant popularity in modern society as the elevators enable persons even with limited physical capabilities to move between the floors in buildings. As elevators enable buildings to be much taller, society has been able to form into more densely populated business and residential configurations.
Since it is often desirable for the elevators to service all of the floors in a particular building, it is necessary for a pit to be formed beneath the elevator that is adapted to receive a lower portion of the elevator that is below the floor of the lowest level.
Depending on the area in which the building is located, water may be present in the ground that is located beneath the building. Because of the position of the elevator pit beneath the ground level, the presence of water surrounding the elevator pit may cause water to leak into the elevator pit. If such water is not removed from the elevator pit, the water may cause degradation of the elevator components that are located in the elevator pit and thereby impact the safe operation of the elevator.
The ground water may exert hydronic pressure on the components of the building and, if not released, may cause damage to the components of the building. Such damage may ultimately render the building uninhabitable.
One technique for removing water from an elevator pit involves placing a pump in the elevator pit. While this option enables water to be removed from the elevator pit, the building/elevator codes in many parts of the country do not permit mechanical devices other than elevator related equipment to be placed in the elevator pit.
One technique that has been utilized to prevent water from entering the elevator shaft is applying a waterproof coating to the walls and floor of the elevator shaft. While this technique may restrict water from entering the elevator shaft, this technique often fails due to hydronic pressure caused by water in the ground surrounding the elevator pit.
Because of the building components that surround the elevator pit, it is often not possible to excavate the area surrounding the elevator pit to install other water removal systems. Additionally, worker protection regulations also would necessitate the length and width of such a hole to be impermissibly large.